Sprinklers

Sprinklers

Traditional sprinklers are a high pressure, high volume method of above ground watering; they are commonly used to water lawns and turfgrass. While Santa Fe has less lawns than elsewhere, sprinklers are still frequently used for various applications. Commonly referred to as “popups”, the sprinkler consists of a body that holds a spring loaded stem which water pressure causes to ‘popup’. On top is a screw- in nozzle that determines the pattern and distance of the spray. Popups typically spray from 5′ to 24′. For longer distances, gear driven rotors are used; they pop up and then swivel as they spray water. Rotors are often used on sports fields and large grassy areas such as parks and golf courses.

We carry a complete selection of popups, nozzles, and rotors from the major manufacturers.

Design Considerations

Since a home water supply is not large enough to water a lawn all at once, a typical sprinkler system is divided into zones, which all run sequentially to water the entire area. While actual installation is easy enough to do it yourself, the choosing of heads/nozzles and arrangement of zones is best left to an experienced professional. Our design staff holds national Irrigation Association certifications.

In other parts of the country, particularly where freezing is not an issue, sprinkler systems typically use rigid PVC pipe. In Santa Fe, high pressure semi-rigid polyethylene tubing is widely used; it is somewhat more freeze resistant and allows for non-geometric sprinkler layouts in free form landscape situations. We carry a full range of PVC and hi-pressure poly. The reference chart below lists sizes and flow capacities.